TCU has achieved its highest ever ranking in the women’s basketball AP Top 25 poll, landing at No. 9 after a significant victory against Notre Dame. This week’s rankings saw some notable shifts following a holiday tournament week filled with important losses.

The Horned Frogs ascended eight places, marking the first time the program has entered the top 10. Previously, their best ranking was at No. 13 in 2004.

In contrast, Notre Dame, which held the third position last week, dropped seven spots to No. 10 after suffering defeats against TCU and Utah during the Cayman Islands tournament.

UCLA retained the No. 1 spot in the rankings, closely followed by UConn. The Bruins secured 25 first-place votes from a national media panel, while the Huskies received the remaining seven votes. UCLA demonstrated their dominance by winning three games in as many days during the Thanksgiving weekend in Hawaii, while UConn achieved two victories in a holiday tournament held in the Bahamas.

Following UConn are South Carolina, Texas, and LSU, with the Tigers surpassing USC to claim the fifth rank. The rest of the top ten features the Trojans, Maryland, Duke, TCU, and Notre Dame.

Duke made significant gains, rising five places to No. 8 after defeating then-No. 9 Kansas State and No. 8 Oklahoma in a Las Vegas tournament. This represents Duke’s highest ranking in ten years, mirroring their No. 8 position from November 24, 2014. As a result, Kansas State fell to 13th, while Oklahoma dropped to 11th.

Both Michigan and Michigan State joined the rankings for the first time this season. The two schools last appeared in the rankings together on January 4, 2021, with Michigan State ranked No. 24. The Wolverines, now ranked 23rd, were last seen in the final poll of the 2023 season.

In a disappointing turn, N.C. State exited the poll after 24 consecutive weeks, marking the end of the 10th longest active streak. Currently, the Wolfpack stand at 4-3, having lost all their games against teams currently in the top 10 (South Carolina, TCU, and LSU). Wes Moore’s squad will face No. 18 Ole Miss on Thursday in the SEC/ACC challenge. Oregon also fell out of the rankings.

Alabama experienced a significant rise, climbing four spots to No. 19, marking its best ranking in 25 years. The Crimson Tide held an impressive 8-0 record ahead of their Monday matchup against Georgia State, which equaled their best start since the 2020-21 season.

In terms of conference representation, the Big Ten boasts the highest presence with nine teams in the rankings, while the SEC follows with seven. Both the ACC and Big 12 have four teams in the Top 25, and the Big East has one.

Looking ahead, the game of the week features No. 4 Texas traveling to No. 10 Notre Dame on Thursday. This SEC/ACC challenge features compelling matchups, particularly highlighting the star talents of Texas’s Madison Booker and Rori Harmon and Notre Dame’s Olivia Miles and Hannah Hidalgo. Meanwhile, the Irish are eager to bounce back from a two-game losing streak.